photo courtesy of beautygirlsmom
Make sure you don’t miss ANY deals on toys, games, electronics and more! Join Addicted to Saving’s Holiday Deals Facebook group and stay on top of all of the latest deals! And, don’t miss my 2015 Holiday Gift Guide to see all of the gift ideas I am loving this year!
I cannot believe that Thanksgiving is next week and that Christmas is almost a month away! I am not someone that likes to fast forward through the seasons and holidays even though it seems time is FLYING! I have some simple tips that will help you save money on your Thanksgiving meal AND – many of the tips can be carried over to Christmas as well! I would love for you to leave a comment and share any additional tips you might have!
1) Create a game plan. The earlier you plan your menu guest list, the sooner you can start preparing. Do not wait until the last minute – you will more than likely pay full price on everything or the stores will be picked over.
2) Get everyone involved. Have your guests help by bringing a side dish and/or a dessert. You will save money on your meal and everyone will feel they are a bigger part of the meal.
3) Start Shopping the Sales & Utilizing Coupons Now. Grocery stores start giving us sales on canned foods as well as turkey and ham weeks before Thanksgiving is here. Coupons on holiday items like canned foods, baking supplies and even frozen turkey are more prevalent during the weeks before Thanksgiving. When you find a good sale like a BOGO and you have a coupon for the item(s), buy now and store the item away until Thanksgiving is here.
4) Shop in your own pantry. See what items you have in your house before you start shopping. You may have frozen veggies or cream of mushroom soup or canned veggies that you would need for a family favorite casserole. Write your grocery list based on what you need and based on what you already have in your home.
5) Consider frozen over fresh. Frozen turkey is usually around half the price of fresh turkey and most people think it tastes the same.
6) Switch up your menu. Sometimes change is a good thing! If you routinely make a dish that you find has lots of leftovers, try a new dish. Add a different ethnic dish to your menu. Or consider a vegetarian dish. A dish with rice, beans and veggies will typically be more affordable to make than a dish with meat!
7) Decorate Simply. Have your kids make decorations as craft projects. Use natural decorations you gather outside. Use fresh pumpkins, acorn squash, etc as decorations. You can then cook with your decorations afterwards!
8 ) Pay it forward. If you find great deals on canned food, donate extra cans to your local food pantry or homeless shelter. Consider volunteering at a soup kitchen Thanksgiving morning.
9) Stock up. If you find an excellent deal on turkey, buy two and freeze one of the birds to use on Christmas or New Year!
10) Have fun. The meaning behind Thanksgiving is to give thanks and be thankful for everything you have.
Thanks for coming to Addicted to Saving! Here’s a little bit about me so you can know who’s behind all these posts!
My name is Liza and I began my money-saving journey in the Spring of 2009 as a way to stretch a limited household income. I had lost my job and my hubby was self-employed. I launched Addicted to Saving in November of 2009 and it has grown by leaps and bounds. Since then, my hubby and I have struggled with the ups and downs of two failed adoptions and are now LOVING being parents to our little man Asher who we brought home from Ethiopia in August of 2013. I feel incredibly blessed to be able to help you save money. My goal is that you will have FUN and become empowered to save more and more money each week..
I’m a newbie. What are good prices for Thanksgiving “staples”?